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Mission Control Core Trajectory Subsystem Gets Software Upgrade

Lockheed Martin Corp. is supporting the upgrade of the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Mission Control Center’s Core Trajectory Subsystem (CTS) using a.i. solutions’ FreeFlyer® software. The contract has an initial value of $3.2 million, with options for additional support and development.

Because of its scalability, FreeFlyer can be seamlessly integrated with the existing Johnson Mission Control Center software to preserve legacy functionality, while providing a framework to infuse future capabilities and technologies. The CTS upgrade is the latest project over more than a decade of supporting NASA missions.

FreeFlyer is a commercial-off-the- shelf (COTS) software application for use in satellite mission analysis, design, and operations. It offers complete space mission analysis and planning in one integrated tool. Because it is not modular-based, it can provide comprehensive flight dynamics functionality, including trajectory and maneuver planning, orbit determination, attitude modeling, and detailed coverage analysis.

JSC users will be able to plan, calibrate, and reconstruct maneuvers, which can be modeled as finite or impulsive burns. Tanks, thrusters, and valves can be used to model both chemical and electrical propulsion systems. Users can perform visibility analysis, including access from spacecraft to ground stations, stars, regions on the Earth’s surface, and other spacecraft, as well as sensor coverage over any celestial body.